“Nathan Patterson is at the age where you have to be playing football” | OneFootball

The Rumour Mill

Jordan Pickford and Nathan Patterson react during a match between Everton and Leeds United at Hill Dickinson Stadium in January 2026

(Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)

Everton right back Nathan Patterson could ‘reignite’ his career by returning to Rangers, according to former Manchester City striker Paul Dickov.

Patterson, who is now 24, has only made three Premier League starts all season as David Moyes replicates the treatment he has received under previous Everton managers since arriving at the club after a strangely over-valued £11M transfer from Rangers in January 2021.

Dickov believes Patterson could be a natural replacement for departing captain James Tavernier and that the familiar ‘surroundings’ of Glasgow can help his career get back on track.

“Nathan Patterson is at the age where you have to be playing football.

"He’s had some unfortunate injuries, but now that he’s back, he needs game time. There’s no doubting his ability, he’s a top young defender, and a move back to Rangers would be good for him.

"If he’s available, I’m sure there’ll be plenty of clubs interested in him. But I think a move back to Rangers where he’s comfortable and in surroundings he knows, could reignite his career.”

Back in March, Patterson said he spoke to Moyes about his lack of playing time:

“I know I’m fully fit and ready to play. Hopefully I can get some minutes. Obviously you want to play as much as you can but it's not really up to me, I can only do what I can on the pitch. That’s a discussion for myself and the manager to have [on his future]."

Reader Comments (22)

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Although I don't see Paterson train, the fact that we have a natural right-back and Moyes insists on playing a central defender there really gripes with me. Paterson filled in wonderfully against Forest when Everton won 2-1. His lack of game time since is perplexing.

A combination of Keane or Tarkowski with O'Brien at centre-back, with Paterson on the right wing, might have brought better results than the dismal run we are in. It could've cost us European places, such are the goals Everton have been conceding late in the game.

Josh Horne 5 Posted 14/05/2026 at 11:32:20

Patterson isn't good enough for the Premier League. O'Brien is good enough, but not at full-back. Coleman's non-playing status is a joke.

Garner is, by a country mile, the best right-back at the club. I'm not wholly convinced he is currently needed more in midfield.

Garner at right-back for the last couple of games would be my preference. Moyes will continue with the same back four.

Had we bought a competent, fit right-back last Summer, we would have already qualified for European football.

Instead, we approached the summer transfer window like complete amateurs and collected players we didn't need and that the manager won't play.

I expect more of the same this Summer and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if O'Brien is still considered a right-back option next season.

I think Patterson's big problem when he's playing is his awareness and concentration; he can be caught completely out of position, but maybe not getting a run of games, he didn't get a chance to iron it out.

I still think Moyes should have started him in the last few games and put O'Brien at centre-back. We got 2 points in the last four games and that's what infuriates me about Moyes, his stubbornness and conservative decisions.

My biggest gripe over Patterson is how the hell did Benitez sign a player who played 3 Scottish league games for Rangers and they had no reserve team, did he even see him play?

Tony Abrahams 7 Posted 14/05/2026 at 16:58:39

Stop it, Christy. Patterson had been on Everton's radar from at least the summer before and Rafa Benitez was already well away from our club before Patterson played a first-team game.

We signed a player on loan from Villa who never played. He was connected to the Iranian agent who was allegedly close to Moshiri at the time and the club was starting a real downward spiral which we were very lucky to survive.

Benitez, was the manager, but nobody can be sure who gave these deals the green light, although it was claimed that Bill Kenwright was a pleasure to deal with by Glasgow Rangers.

When Lampard took over Everton in the same month that Nathan Patterson joined, the Tottenham chairman, Levy, orchestrated a great deal for his club by offloading Dele Alli after a lovely meal with Bill.

The different managers and the different directors of football never seemed to be aligned during the Moshiri era. Looking at our recruitment last summer, I have a similar feeling about the way we are operating now.

Jim Bennings 8 Posted 14/05/2026 at 17:03:41

In fairness, when we were chasing him, we probably thought we were getting the right-back version of Andy Robertson who himself came down to Hull for a really good season before signing for Liverpool.

Patterson never looks like getting the breakthrough here, it will be in his best interest if he goes back to Rangers. Then, maybe in the future, he can return to the Premier League, maybe more physically stronger and more experienced.

Brendan McLaughlin 9 Posted 14/05/2026 at 17:31:30

Christy #6,

Incredibly, Benitez described Patterson and Mykolenko as the future of the club.

Bill Hawker 10 Posted 14/05/2026 at 17:46:47

Moyes won't play him in his natural position over a centre-back who is playing right-back.

If I'm Patterson, I'm moving on to a club that will play me in my natural position.

James Flynn 11 Posted 14/05/2026 at 19:59:23

Not everything is Moyes's fault. Or Lampard's or Dyche's.

Patterson amounts to a low-cost bust. No great miss.

Dave Abrahams 12 Posted 14/05/2026 at 20:24:44

Brendan (9),

It would be very interesting reading where you got that information from. I think Mykolenko's first game was v Hull City (?) in an FA Cup game, we won 3-2. But the Hungarian full back had nothing to do with that win, he was unbelievably poor.

I'm not sure who was in charge of that game but Benitez didn't last long after that game. In fact, he went after the Norwich game away after a 2-1 defeat when Michael Keane had a really great game — for fuckin' Norwich with a hand in both their goals!!!

Christy Ring 13 Posted 14/05/2026 at 20:37:22

Rumours of Patterson going back to Rangers to replace Tavernier? I saw today that there was a falling out with him and the club. I couldn't believe he put off an injection on his ankle to play in his last home game against Hibs last night.

He rang the club to ask if his kids could do mascot, after 10½ years at the club, and he was told he wouldn't be starting the game, even though the result made no difference to their position.

Sums up Rangers, in my opinion, no class whatsoever.

Tony Abrahams 14 Posted 14/05/2026 at 20:50:12

The Norwich game was our very next game after we had played against Hull, Dave.

I'm sure Duncan Ferguson went to Goodison for a meeting with the Everton officials the night before the team travelled to Norwich -- on the Friday if my memory is correct.

So the writing was already on the wall for Rafa, haha!\ If we are being honest, the writing was on the wall the day he got the Everton job, especially when they gave him his transfer pot for that summer.

He was even blamed for getting rid of a player that the club simply couldn't afford, but luckily for us there were some very poor teams in the Premier League when we got our points deductions a couple of years later.

Brendan McLaughlin 15 Posted 14/05/2026 at 21:18:39

Dave #9

Liverpool Echo quoting Benitez on the signings at the time:

"That is the style I want to instil here. Bringing in two young players with energy to go forward and attack, I think it's the key for the future of the club."

Mike Gaynes 16 Posted 15/05/2026 at 05:54:29

Patto was by no means "wonderful" in his three emergency starts last winter. He was adequate and made no major mistakes. And as soon as somebody else was available to play right back, Moyes returned him to the bench -- as Lampard and Dyche had repeatedly done before him. Patterson's "natural position" in the Premier League is Unused Substitute.

To review again, the list of players that Patto's managers have chosen to start ahead of him include not just Seamus and two out-of-position players in O'Brien and Garner, but also 62-year-old Ashley Young and, on one occasion, Mason The Moron.

Whatever's wrong with him, all three of his managers have seen it and reached the same decision.

Patterson looks more like a right back than Obrien, that much is clear. His attacking output in terms of crosses, attacking runs, assists and goals over the 4.5 years has been weak though, as his ability to stay fit.

He is the classic flatter to deceive player. A player that looks better than he actually delivers, and who's reputation grows by not playing. But the data analysts will be onto him, and why he isn't being used. The ability to hide in the Premier league over.

With Patterson I would expect if he played, he would cost more goals than Mykolenko on the other side. The attacking output might be slightly better for the fella in front, but results aren't going to materially change with him in the side.

I had read O'brien has one of the lowest dribbles past in the league per 90. He has been dribbled past 7 times in 35 games, vs Patterson 4 in 7 games. A little insight onto why Moyes has trusted him to lock down the right back area vs wingers. I can also dispel the myth that Mykolenko is a great one one defender. He isn't. Dribbled past 28 times in 31 games, which shows the job Jake is doing on the other side.

Mike Powell 19 Posted 15/05/2026 at 09:13:58

Patterson is no where near good enough for the premier league,the Scottish premier league is about his level, how many managers as he played under, and how many have gave him game time, that should tell you everything.Obrien may not be a natural right back, but he is still much better than Patterson

Andrew Ellams 20 Posted 15/05/2026 at 09:22:36

I have a feeling that both Patterson and Coleman will still be sitting on our bench next season even if the club does bring in a right back.

A new face doesn't create a shift down in the squad, It just allows O'Brien to shift to his natural position and everything else stays as it is.

"He was adequate and made no major mistakes"...Oh well lets send the fucker to Siberia.

Patterson was more than adequate. He looked very decent especially for somebody who was asked to play rusty. He would surely only get better with more games. I cringe when people put up yet more fuck-witted stats to make him look bad. The only thing I want to know about our defenders at Forest and Villa (Two of our best performances) was how many did we concede ?

My take on this is that he isn't confrontational enough. He doesnt stand up for himself enough and is therefore far easier for managers to leave out than a player who will kick down their door. Does anybody really believe Dyche would have taken liberties with Seamus with his "only messing" slap ? No chance. He knows that would have ended up with coats off in the car park.

There can be no doubt Patterson has had a raw deal. He has either served under managers who were desperate for points and wouldnt dare take a chance on his more attacking approach. or the most miserable coward in football who doesnt have the balls to leave out his "favourites".

We (Evertonians) will never know if he is good enough. Those implying they do are ignoring results when he has played and are talking out of their arses